Expectations
by HeadlessHuntsman
Summary: This story was written for Morning Lilies Photo Album Challenge


**A/N: This was written for Morning Lilies Photo Album Competition: My caption was "**August 31, 2015 - Teddy 'packing' for his last year of school. (He tells me he had already packed, but take note of the spell books across the floor and the broom in the corner.) **"**

**As always I own none of what you recognize and probably only half of what you don't.**

Teddy sat on his bed, in his room at his gran's house. He was supposed to be packing his trunk for his last year at Hogwarts instead he was busy working on his latest picture. He held a charcoal stick in his left hand and had his worn leather portfolio laid out on his lap. As Teddy concentrated on the drawing his hair changed color from its normal sandy brown to a vibrant blue. Teddy heard the steps squeak and knew his gran was coming up the stairs he quickly stashed the portfolio and turned to the pile of books in front of him. A familiar whirring sound came from the hallway and Teddy knew his gran was taking yet another bloody picture. She had been insufferable all week snapping a picture to commemorate whatever he was doing at that time. _"Oh my the last time you'll ever eat cold cereal before you graduate!"_ Teddy snorts at his memory. Teddy hears the steps squeak again and he knows his gran has returned downstairs to the kitchen. Teddy returned to his drawing losing track of time.

"Ted!" Andromeda yelled, from the kitchen. "Are you packed and ready? Harry will be here soon." Teddy set his portfolio down and looked at his still half empty trunk and scattered belongings. "Yeah, Gran, I'm done."

'Theodore Remus Lupin! Do not make me come up there," Her anger flared. "We are both too old for this ritual. I am not going to pack for you, so it better be done!"

"It is! It is!" Teddy yelled. "Sheesh lay off woman," he said, lowering his voice.

"What was that?" Andromeda shrieked.

"Nothing," Teddy said, sounding contrite.

"Yeah, I thought so," his gran answered.

_'What's the bloody point?' _Ted thought. _'I will go to school play the dutiful son and take up the mantel of the Lupin name, fighting evil. Whether I want to or not.' _Teddy picked up a book from the pile in front of him and looked at the title. "Advanced Theories in Defense." Teddy snorted angrily and threw the book roughly into his trunk, his hair flashing from its normal color to a deep red in the process.

Teddy looked at the remaining pile of books next to his trunk. Potions, Transfiguration, Charms all required to be an Auror. He picked up the whole pile and violently dumped them into the chest. _'Why me?'_He moaned to himself. _'Why did it have to fall to me to live up to their names?'_

He grabbed his robes and other clothing from the end of his bed. Looking at the black and yellow tie in his hands. _'At least its not Gryffindor.' _He thought. _'That's one expectation I don't have to meet.'_

He picked up the portfolio from his bed and began to thumb through it. The pad is half full of various portraits, landscapes and still lifes. Halfway through the book all the pictures turn to one subject. It is a young girl about Teddy's age. The color pictures show her to have pale blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

_'Give it up' _Teddy admonished himself. _'We've known each other literally all our lives if anything was gonna happen it would have done so by now.'_ Teddy closed the portfolio and tossed it along with his other artist materials into his trunk. The portfolio and materials were a gift from his godfather, well it was really from his godfather's wife Ginny Potter. She had always encouraged any artistic abilities in any of her children and in all honesty she felt Teddy was very much one of her kids.

A knock at his bedroom brought Teddy out of his thoughts.

"Hey Ted," Harry Potter, Teddy's godfather poked his head into the room. "You about ready? And please say yes . Your Gran is on the warpath."

"Hi Harry. Yeah I'm all packed and ready," Teddy said, as he stood up from the bed and began to levitate his trunk out the door.

"What about your broom?" Harry asked, nodding to the corner.

"Oh yeah, thanks." Teddy waived his hand and the broom floated to him.

_'Another damn expectation,' _Teddy thought. _'If I wasn't on Hufflepuff I wouldn't even be on the team.'_

"Something wrong Ted?" Harry asked seeing the look in the young man's eyes.

"No not really I'm just tired." Teddy answered.

"You know you can talk to me about whatever, right?" Harry probed.

"Really Harry I'm fine, I'm just tired," Teddy answered, while he tried to move past Harry with his trunk.

Harry grabbed his arm as he went by. "Ted you're talking to the master of repressed feelings and hidden emotions here," Harry said. "I know when something is up and when you're ready to talk I'm here."

"Thanks," Teddy answered, "maybe later. Right now let's just get a move on." He flashed a lopsided smile.

"Sure thing," Harry said. "Let me take that and you go say goodbye to your gran."

Teddy followed Harry and his trunk down the steps to the parlor.

"I'm just going to go on ahead," Harry said. "Ted just come after you've said you're goodbyes." Harry turned to Andromeda who had entered the parlor, "Andromeda as always if you need anything at all let Gin or myself know," he said, hugging the elderly lady.

"I will Harry," she said hugging him back.

Harry stepped into the fireplace with Teddy's trunk and and threw down a handful of powder calling out "Potter Carriage-House!" In a green flash he was gone leaving the teen and his grandmother alone.

"Have you got everything you need?" she asked.

"Yes I do," Teddy answered.

"Good, good," Andromeda looked at him and suddenly teared up. "I can't believe it. Look at you. Your parents would be so proud," she said holding him at arm's length. "I am so proud."

"Let's hope you stay that way," Teddy muttered, returning his grandmother's hug.

"What's that mean?" she looked at him sternly. "You know I will be proud of you no matter what."

"I know, I'm sorry I'm just being silly," Teddy said.

"I should hope so. Now go on they'll be waiting for you," she said, hugging him one last time. "I love you Teddy."

"I love you too Gran," Teddy said, as he stepped into the fireplace.

-ooo-

"Teddy!" Lily barreled into Teddy, as he stepped from the fireplace.

"Heya squirt how are ya?" Teddy laughed, his hair changing to an emerald green, as he hugged the eight year old girl.

"Hi Ted," a ten year old Albus said, from the the loveseat where he was reading a book."

"Hey Snake, whatcha reading?" Teddy asked, using the nickname only he was allowed to use. Teddy had called Albus that since the the young boy was only two. Teddy had realized that Albus' initials spelled asp and thought it was hilarious.

"It's about muggle laws and crime. I borrowed it from Aunt Hermione," Albus answered, returning to his book.

"Figures." Teddy remarked trying to extricate Lily who was now climbing up his back.

"Lily Luna! Teddy is not a climbing frame! Get off him!" Ginny Potter said, entering the room.

"Okay okay," the little girl pouted and jumped down. "Hey Teddy I've got some new Quidditch models. Wanna come see?" Lily begged.

"In a few minutes squirt. Let me get settled and talk to your mum and dad," Teddy said. "Why don't you get the pitch set up and I will be up in a bit."

"Okay," Lily said, skipping up the stairs two at a time.

"Hi Ginny," Teddy said, hugging her.

"Hi," she said hugging him back. "Have you eaten? I was just getting ready to set it out."

"No I haven't," Teddy said looking around. "Where is James?"

"He's in his room," Ginny answered. "I think he's still having trouble with it all."

Ginny led Teddy into the kitchen. Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermoine had all agreed that they would not tell their children about their family's personal involvement in the war until they were eleven and heading to school. They wanted to give their children some semblance of a normal childhood.

"I can't really blame him it is a lot to take in," Ginny said.

"And even more to live up to," Teddy muttered, in response causing Ginny to turn her head towards the teen.

"Hey Ted! Long time no see," Harry joked, coming in through the backdoor.

Teddy smiled at his godfather's corniness. "Yeah what's it been? A whole five minutes." Teddy turned back to Ginny. "You want me to talk to him?" He asked.

"James." Ginny said in answer to Harry's questioning look. " That might not be a bad idea ." Ginny said. "Could help him get some perspective."

"I know "The Talk" , Teddy said using his fingers to show quotation marks, "messed me up too."

"So how long did it take for you to be okay with it all?" Harry asked the teen, obviously concerned for James.

"I'll let you know." Teddy said smiling sadly as he left the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

-ooo-

Teddy knocked on James' bedroom door, before opening it.

"Hiya James, how ya doin?" Teddy said poking, his head in the room, after being told to come in.

"Okay I guess," James answered, laying back on his bed staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Wanna talk about it?" Teddy asked, taking a seat at James' desk.

"I am alright with the whole war thing," James said sitting up on the end of his bed. "I figured out that our family did something special a long time ago."

"So what's the problem then?" Teddy asked.

'What if I'm not good enough?" James asked, looking down at the carpet. "What if I can't measure up?"

"James, is that really what's bothering you?" Teddy asked, incredulously .

"Think about it Ted," James said. "I mean, what if I'm not as good as dad at defense or as good as mum at Quidditch? What if I disappoint them?"

"That's one thing you don't have to worry about," Teddy said sternly. "No matter what, if you try your hardest and do your best, then your parents will be proud."

"What about everyone else?" James said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I don't really like Quidditch that much and everyone is already expecting me to be like dad."

"James, look at me," Teddy said, waiting for James to look up. "Don't let anyone tell you who you should be. Ultimately the only opinion that'll matter is yours," Teddy said. "Be true to yourself and do what makes you happy," Teddy said, poking James lightly in the chest. "Don't let anyone tell you any different."

"You really think so?" James asked.

"I know so," Teddy answered. "Hey have I ever led you wrong?"

"No not really," James answered

"Damn straight I haven't," Teddy said, standing up , "and I never will. You should probably get cleaned up. I think your mum has dinner about ready." Teddy walked out the bedroom, leaving the eleven year old to his thoughts.

"That was some sound advice," Harry said, catching Teddy by surprise. He was leaning against the wall in the hall a few doors down from James' open door.

"Just trying to help," Teddy answered sheepishly.

"I think you did," Harry said. "You might wanna take your own advice."

"What do you mean?" Teddy asked, wanting to avoid the conversation.

"You of all people, know how hard it is to live up to expectations," Harry said, looking at Teddy knowingly. "Ted don't comment just listen," Harry said, holding up his hand to cut off the teen. "My work brings me in contact with a lot of people on the absolute worst day of their lives," Harry said. "Many times mine is the only voice a victim has. That's part of my job."

Harry removed his glasses and cleaned them on his shirttail."The dead deserve our honor and respect," Harry said, putting his glasses back on. "What they don't deserve, I've come to realize, is our lives," Harry looked at the teen, his green eyes flashing with intensity. "Your mum and dad did not die so you could be an Auror or a professor. They died so you would have a chance to do what makes you happy."

"But what if what I want to do is..." Teddy paused, "different."

Harry snorted, "Teddy if you wanted to wear a pink tutu and sell ladies underwear at "Madame Malkin's" Gin and I would support you," Harry said. "We may laugh, point and take pictures, but we would support you."

Teddy laughed as Harry put his arm around his godson.

"Just think about what I said, yeah?"Harry said

"I will Harry, thanks," Teddy answered.

"Now let's go to the kitchen and see if we can sneak some treacle tart," Harry smiled lopsidedly as they headed down the stairs.


End file.
